BoomerRN

We had a Medical Terminology Course but I challenged it and passed 100%. We were also taught to make beds, a regular one and a surgical bed. A dime had to bounce off it for a pass or fail grade. The only thing we were not taught was phlebotomy. We were told we would learn it once we began working, which was true.

Not trying to dissuade you from Richmond, but crime is at a high level there. Charlottesvill has very, very low crime.

Charlottesville, VA is a great place to live and work. The University of Virginia Hospital and Martha Jefferson Hospital are located here as well as many other health care facilities. The only draw back is it's expensive here, especially housing. But lot's of people live outside the county and drive here. I've been out of nursing a few years and don't know the salaries, they were not great when I worked for UVA, but had great benefits. I worked in clinical research the last ten years. Good luck with your job hunt.:)

I had three children ages 6, 3, and 7 1/2 months old when I started nursing school in 1975 at age 26. I remember sitting in a classroom in Case Western Reserve University when my daughter was one month old, taking the NLN test. It was a very long test and I was breast-feeding my daughter. After three hours, I could feel the milk dripping out, but I had padded my breasts good. When I got home, the pads were so heavy with milk I could have used them as weapons. :chuckle My mother and mother-in-law refused to watch the kids regularly, so I had to find a sitter, which was somewhat difficult back then. Fortunately, a couple of ladies in my church helped me. I paid $30/week back then, there were no sitting agencies where I lived. My husband worked 8 hours/day and helped all he could, he was great. It was very difficult and there were times I wished I had waited until the children were older, but I completed the course with God's help, hard work, and determination. The instructors did everything they could to frustrate everyone. This was their way of weeding us out. Later, when I began to work, I saw the reason why. You have to be strong willed, determined, and somewhat stubborn to work as a nurse, I had all three. :) The program reminded me of being in the army--rules, restrictions, etc. I had to let the house pretty much go--no heavy cleaning--and did only what was necessary. I stayed up late, and sometimes, all night to study and complete projects. I graduated with a "B" average. I was disappointed in nursing as a profession. I hated how the doctors treated nurses. I loved the patients. My only regret is that I should have tried working as a CNA before jumping into the RN program. One of the great things about nursing, you have so many other options to use your training. As a nurse I worked in hospitals, nursing homes, and my last ten years I worked at a local university as a clinical research corrdinator, which I loved. Overall, if you have the ambition, determination, regular help with your children, I would say go for it. Good luck.

I had a nursing instructor (for lecture class only) who was, I think, mentally ill. Fortunately, for me, I was luck enough to have another instructor for hospital rotation and only had to deal with this nut in class. She would make fun of people in class and make all kinds of wierd statements. She also would put questions on the tests that she had not discussed and when approached about it, stated that she definitely had presented this material in class. I listened to her and was polite and did pretty good on her tests and she seemed to leave me alone. But, my dear friend and several others in this class were threatened with failing, called names, and often made to look foolish in class--and a couple of them did better than I did on the tests. We had heard from previous classmates that they had complained about her for years and no one would do anything about her. I think my advice would be to learn your material well, be prompt to class, particpate in class, and be nice. Good Luck to you.

I am at the stage of my life where I can pick and choose what I want to do. I do not have to work for a living, but I am looking for a position such as ADON. I have been a DON a few times, as well as a ADON, and I prefer being able to work directly with staff and residents. I've always been a 'hands on person' and this position lets me have a lot of input on resident care. Here's an update on the facility that I interviewed for the ADON: They still do not have an ADON and are still advertising for one. I wonder if it's because when people find out that the DON is a new nurse, they become disinterested? You think?

Mine was chemistry. My brother, who is a "brain" tutored me and I passed, but I really hated that subject. That's probably why I had a difficult time grasping it, I have to enjoy a subject to do well in it.

Talk about disruptive? When I first started working as a nurse in the late 70's, I worked at a very small hospital in my hometown. Except for two or three docs, the rest were, jerks and demanded I turn all my attention to them whenever they came on the floor. I had trouble with three of them trying to get me to go out with them (I was married with three children), and making sexual advancements towards me almost every day. One of the surgeons actually came into a pts. room, while I was helping the aide with a dying pt., and wrapped his arms around me from the back. I told him to get out, which he did, laughing. Whenever I called him about a pt. he would ask me personal questions and make remarks about my appearance such as: are you wearing a dress to show off your pretty legs? I reported all these behaviors to the Director and all she would say was: "Oh, just ignore them." I stayed there about 8 months. I was so angry and almost left nursing, but I decided to find another job and leave. It was the best decision I ever made. I have never found another work place as bad as that one was. My favorite place to work was the Cleveland Clinic Hospital.

The administrator has been around the area for years. I recognized her name. So, she should know better than to put a new nurse in the DON position. I could have taken the job and for a while thought I might, but having gone around the block a time or two in my career, decided not to step into a hornet's nest. I have worked in long term care since 1979, with 8 years in between working in clinical research, and have seen it go steadily downhill. The state regulations have gotten ridiculous and there is no way you can possibly complete everything and give some quality time and attention to the residents. It's a shame.

I gave them an answer of "No Thanks" already. I can't believe that they would put a new nurse in as DON. She told me the first DON left and the administrator gave the job to her. She had been the ADON there for a few months prior to this, (her first job after graduating!!). I feel sorry for her because she really is green and I told her that she can get an experienced ADON, but in the end she is responsible for what goes on there. Her interview techniques are rough also. She brought up the age factor. If I was a mean person, I would turn her in for discrimination, but I'm not. And-- the state is due any day!

Recently, I applied for the position of ADON at a nursing home. I have been to three interviews--one with the DON, one with the administrator and one with the corporate nurse. I have about 25 years experience working in longterm care. The concern I have is the DON is a new nurse and has admitted not knowing very much about longterm care and would like to hire someone who has the experience so she can learn from that person. This place has 109 beds and the DON mentioned she had worked 3 shifts that week due to call ins. The DON is not supposed to work as a charge nurse if there are over 60 beds. She didn't know this and the administrator didn't tell her. I'm not sure if I want this position now, as I am worried about the liability that may be involved and other things. What are your thoughts? Thanks.

The others are correct. A DON cannot be a charge nurse if your bed count is over 60. Besides that. Why stick around and have to deal with this administrator's rantings. I can guarantee you that things will not get better and this person may cause you to get into trouble and lose your license, possibly. I would not be able to trust her after this episode. Personally, I would find me another job and leave.

At the last place I worked, each department head, unit nurse managers and others met every am for a short time to discuss residents. The 24 hr report was used and others' observations about the residents was discussed. For example, the activities people often picked up changes and important observations in the residents and reported these in the meeting.

Sounds like this nursing student has problems dealing with people and getting their work done. I would help up to a point, but if this person has issues now, how are they going to deal with all the people and problems that come up while working as a nurse? Maybe he's not cut out to be a nurse.

I started working at a local LTC facility as a Staff Dev. Coord./Infection Control Coord. in late Feb. and the state was in there the next week for the annual inspect. Well, we failed. There were so many tags I can't begin to tell you what they were. They returned in early April and we failed on some more, mainly paperwork--namely the MDS assessments. The corporate bunch came in last week (4 of them) and had some of the managers with them looking at the MDS and careplans. They tore apart the MDS person and all I heard was "I am so sick of this sh....t" and "she is so stupid". I am ready to quit. I have never worked in such a place as this and you can't even get needed supplies. I was never oriented and am expected to train others, even though I don't know what the procedures are. No one wants to co-operate with you and the administrator talks down and is rude to the staff. I have worked in LTC since 1979 off and on but this place takes the cake. The DON is also new and talked me into staying longer (she is looking for another place to work). In this area I don't know of a good LTC facility. I am seriously thinking of quiting because I don't want to be associated with a bad facility and I hear it has a history of not doing well with the surveys. Most of the staff do seem to care for the residents and some of them have been there for years. Just had to vent!